Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) reads a few verses from Genesis 8 and Matthew 24 in the Bible to underscore his conviction that man will not destroy the earth. YouTube

November 10, 2010

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The video: As the GOP prepares to take over the House of Representatives, liberal blogger Juan Cole has posted a clip of one of the candidates to run the Energy and Commerce committee discussing his views on climate change. In the video, Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) says we don't have to worry about the effects of global warming, because in the Bible God promises not to destroy the world again after Noah's flood. The reaction: When Shimkus made his jaw-dropping remarks back in March 2009, says Andrew Leonard in Salon, Nancy Pelosi ruled the House "with an iron fist," so "one could chuckle" when Republicans consulted the Bible for advice on climate change. But now these guys will play a big role it setting U.S. energy policy — "it just doesn't seem so funny" any more. The fact of the matter is that any Republican who gets this job will share Shimkus' opposition to the Democrats' ideas on combating global warming, says Bill Lambrecht at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But Shimkus' focus is elsewhere — he primarily wants this post because it will let him lead the GOP charge against Obamacare. Watch Shimkus' remarks: